On September 3, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) released an ad to promote the consumption of lamb, titled "The Meat More People Can Eat".
The ad depicts a backyard barbecue being attended by gods from various religions and faiths – everyone from Jesus to Aphrodite – with lamb being the main course at the table.
Also shown in attendance is Lord Ganesha.
While the ad is meant to be humorous, the copywriters might not have accounted for the ramifications of showing a Hindu god eating non-vegetarian food...
Because no sooner had the ad gone up, Hindu groups from all over condemned the MLA for trying to stir controversy and using religious icons to gain attention.
The fact that Ganesha is shown drinking wine also didn't go down well with a lot of Indians.
After Habib, it's Meat & Livestock Australia, showing Lord Ganesha drinking wine & eating lamb😠👎 Is ths a fashion t… https://t.co/8K7f6irGOQ
And then there's the fact that Ganesha is played with a very stereotypical Indian accent.
https://t.co/cm8GfbrukW Wht an ignorant POS.That Indian accent adds 2 d insensitivity. hw cm Jesus aint talking wit a middle east'n accent?
Of course, none of that compares to the fact that the ad was released smack in the middle of Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, celebrated every year literally in honour of Ganesha.
So the Hindu community in Australia is outraged by this ad. Of course. Tbf it is offensive if Ganesha is God to you https://t.co/tuyP53OwRT
In addition to the MLA, Indians have been tagging PM Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asking them to take action and get the ad taken down.
Shocking way to hurt Hindus in Aus, @SushmaSwaraj @narendramodi can u plz take up this issue? https://t.co/BfC987WcWc
It should be noted that the MLA has a history of courting controversies with their ads, including a 2016 commercial where they showed a vegan's home being torched by commandos.
As of now, they are yet to respond to the concerns raised by those they offended. You can watch the ad in question here:
